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UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS, 

Agricultural  Experiment  Station 

BULLETIN  No.  2. 

ENSILAGE. 

Reported  by   THOMAS  J.  HUNT,  Assistant  Agriculturist. 


Oharnpaign,  August,  1888, 


The  report  herein  detailed  is  a  record  such,  for  the  most  part,  as  any 
farmer  having  a  silo  might  make;  and,  as  such,  it  is  published  for  the 
benefit  of  those  who,  having  had  no  experience  with  ensilage,  desire  to 
obtain  information  concerning  a  material  now  so  much  discussed. 

THE  SILO. 

The  silo  used  consisted  of  a  room  n  feet  8  inches  x  16  feet  x  9  feet 
high,  in  the  basement  of  the  South  barn,  on  the  University  farm.  One 
side  wall  was  stone;  the  other  walls  were  brick.  One  wall  contained  two 
windows  three  feet  square,  and  the  room  had  a  door-way.  These  were 
made  tight  by  means  of  boards.  The  walls  of  this  room  were  raised  five 
feet  higher  by  means  of  studding  and  flooring,  making  the  silo  fourteen 
feet  deep.  The  floor  and  the  walls  of  stone  and  brick  were  cemented, 
and  a  tight  joint  was  made  with  cement  between  these  and  the  boards 
above. 

FILLING    SILO. 

The  filling  the  silo  was  practically  continuous,  and  was  done  in  three 
days,  August  20-22,  1887,  with  54,525  pounds,  twenty-seven  and  a  quarter 
tons,  of  green  corn. 

About  twenty  tons  of  this  consisted  of  a  medium  sized,  fairly  early 
yellow  dent  corn  (Murdock),  which  had  been  planted  May  4-6,  in  rows 
3  feet  9  inches  apart,  with  two  to  three  kernels  dropped  every  9  to  12 
inches  in  each  row.  At  the  time  of  cutting,  the  stalks  had  well  formed 


1 6  BULLETIN    NO.   2.  [AugUSf, 

but  small  ears,  the  kernels  of  which  had  largely  passed  the  milk  state, 
that  is,  the  kernels  were  mostly  glazed.  The  lower  leaves  were  yellowish, 
and  some  had  begun  to  dry.  The  growth,  though  not  large,  was  thought 
satisfactory,  considering  the  long  continued  and  severe  drought  that  had 
prevailed  here.  The  yield  was  not  more  than  seven  tons  of  fresh  fodder 
per  acre.  Seven  tons  consisted  of  a  large,  late  maturing  yellow  dent 
corn  (Learning),  which  had  been  planted  May  28,  1887.  The  kernels 
were  in  the  milk  and  the  leaves  were  entirely  green.  No  marked  differ- 
ence was  noted  between  the  ensilage  from  this  and  that  from  the  other 
corn. 

At  the  time  of  filling  the  silo,  1.07  acres  of  corn  were  cut  and  shocked. 
October  i5th  this  dry  corn-fodder  weighed  4,665  pounds,  two  and  one- 
sixth  tons  per  acre. 

The  fresh  corn-fodder  was  drawn  to  the  silo  about  as  fast  as  cut,  and 
was  chopped  into  pieces  one  to  two  inches  long  by  means  of  a  No.  4  Belle 
City  feed  cutter,  run  by  a  J.  I.  Case  two-horse  tread-power.  By  this 
means  two  men  with  a  team  could  cut  two  tons  of  green  fodder  an  hour, 
although  but  about  one  ton  an  hour  was  cut  on  an  average.  Two  men 
cut  the  fodder  in  the  field;  and  two  men,  each  with  a  team  and  wagon, 
hauled  it  to  the  barn,  the  round  trip  being  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  One 
man  distributed  and  packed  the  material  in  the  silo. 

In  unloading  the  fodder,  a  doubled  rope  was  fastened  to  the  sides  of 
the  rear  end  of  the  rack-bed  and  was  laid  on  the  bottom  of  the  rack,  the 
middle  projecting  over  the  front  of  the  rack.  Another  rope  was  attached 
to  a  beam  above  the  drive-way.  When  a  load  was  drawn  in,  the  suspended 
rope  was  hooked  to  the  rope  on  the  wagon  and  the  wagon  drawn  ahead, 
rolling  the  load  upon  the  floor.  Care  is  necessary  to  prevent  breaking 
the  rack.  This  simple  device,  adopted  from  Mr.  Cushman,  formerly  a 
manufacturer  of  sorghum  syrup  of  this  neighborhood,  saves  much  heavy 
lifting. 

Practically,  therefore,  seven  men  and  three  teams  in  three  days  filled 
the  silo  with  twenty-seven  tons  of  corn  ensilage.  Each  farmer  may  for 
himself  calculate  what  it  would  cost  him  under  similar  circumstances  to 
fill  such  a  silo.  The  green  fodder,  as  it  came  from  the  feed  cutter,  fell 
into  the  silo,  was  distributed  and  tramped  with  some  care.  But  absolute 
evenness  of  distribution  was  not  secured;  for  a  large  proportion  of  the 
heavier  parts,  as  the  corn,  remained  under  the  cutter,  while  the  lighter 
parts,  as  the  leaves,  were  distributed  to  the  sides  of  the  silo.  This  is  not 
easily  avoided;  but  care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  it,  since  it  causes 
uneveness  of  settling,  which  seems  to  prevent  the  perfect  keeping  of  the 
ensilage. 

CAPACITY    OF    SILO. 

Two  days  after  the  silo  was  filled  the  contents  were  covered  with 
tarred  building  paper,  this  with  two  inch  plank,  and  the  whole  weighted 
with  barrels  of  sand  and  other  convenient  material  to  the  amount,  approx- 
imately, of  fifty  pounds  to  the  square  foot.  Between  this  time  and  March 


1888.]  ENSILAGE.  17 

10,  1888,  when  the  silo  was  opened,  the  top  sank  three  and  one-half  feet,  or 
one-fourth  the  total  height.  When  put  in,  twenty-one  pounds  of  the  green 
corn  occupied  a  cubic  foot.  Not  allowing  for  evaporation,  the  ensilage, 
when  taken  out,  would  weigh  twenty-eight  pounds  to  the  cubic  foot.  As 
shown  further  on,  forty-two  pounds  of  corn  ensilage  were  eaten  daily  by 
animals  weighing  on  an  average  895  pounds.  A  capacity  of  two  cubic  feet 
a  day  for  each  animal  would  make  a  silo  sufficiently  large,  when  such  ani- 
mals are  to  be  fed  all  the  ensilage  they  will  eat.  If  other  food  is  to  be 
given,  a  less  capacity  would  suffice,  no  allowance  being  made  for  waste. 
Taking  everything  into  consideration,  probably  a  capacity  of  two  cubic 
feet  a  day  for  each  animal  is  the  best  basis  for  estimating  the  size  of 
the  silo. 

CONDITION    OF    THE    ENSILAGE. 

The  silo  was  opened  March  10,  1888,  six  and  one-half  months  after 
it  was  filled.  The  larger  part  of  the  ensilage  was  well  preserved.  It  was 
of  a  brownish  color,  with  here  and  there  streaks  and  patches  of  white 
mould.  It  had  a  pleasant  odor  and  an  acid  taste. 

The  ensilage  of  the  first  foot  and  that  of  twelve  to  fourteen  inches  on 
the  sides  and  somewhat  more  in  the  corners  was  rotten,  except  against  the 
door  and  the  windows  above  mentioned.  Against  these  places  about  two 
inches  were  rotten.  The  ensilage  was  not  rotten  on  the  bottom. 

Particular  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  of  the  better  preservation 
next  the  boards.  It  has  an  important  bearing  on  the  construction  of  the 
silo,  and  would  seem  to  indicate  that  boards  are  better  adapted  to  this 
purpose  than  stone,  brick,  concrete,  etc.,  apparently  because  boards  are 
a  better  non-conductor  of  heat.  When  the  ensilage  comes  into  contact 
with  the  cement  and  the  cemented  surface  of  the  stone  and  the  brick,  the 
heat  generated  by  fermentation  is  conducted  away  so  rapidly  that  the 
temperature  does  not  rise  to  the  height  necessary  to  prevent  the  develop- 
ment of  the  organisms  of  putrefaction;  that  is,  to  prevent  rotting;  or, 
perhaps,  the  temperature  does  not  rise  to  a  height  sufficient  to  cause  the 
best  development  of  the  organisms  of  fermentation  and  to  prevent  thereby 
the  development  of  the  organisms  of  putrefaction.  The  successful  preser- 
vation of  ensilage  may  require  the  development  of  certain  organisms 
which,  by  the  very  fact  of  their  development,  retard  or  prevent  the  growth 
of  organisms  which  would  be  detrimental ;  just  as  the  successful  growth  of 
yeast,  and  the  consequent  changes  produced  in  the  materials  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  beer,  retards  or  prevents  the  growth  of  those  organisms 
which  would  spoil  the  materials.  By  excluding  the  air  (free  oxygen)  so 
far  as  possible,  we  produce  conditions  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the 
organisms  of  fermentation  and  unfavorable  to  putrefaction  or  rotting.  In 
other  words,  fermentation  takes  place  in  the  absence,  and  putrefaction  in 
the  presence,  of  free  oxygen.  After  the  fermentative  change  has  taken 
place,  the  resulting  material,  ensilage,  will,  when  exposed  to  the  open  air, 
keep  without  rotting  a  much  longer  time  than  the  fresh  material. 


l8  BULLETIN    NO.   2.  \_Allgllst, 

The  rotting  at  the  top  and  sides  was  a  serious  loss.  If  it  be  assumed 
that  there  was  a  waste  of  one  foot  on  the  top  and  around  the  sides,  which 
is  below  rather  than  above  the  quantity,  the  loss  is  674  in  1,966  cubic 
feet,  or  more  than  one-third  the  entire  amount.  This  was  not  total  loss, 
for  the  corn  was  readily  eaten  by  the  hogs.  So  great  a  loss  must  be 
avoided  before  the  silo  can  be  economically  used;  and  from  this  lim- 
ited experience,  it  would  seem  that  if  the  silo  were  made  of  boards 
instead  of  stone  or  a  like  good  conductor  of  heat,  the  loss  would  be 
largely  avoided. 

Prof.  Henry,  of  the  Wisconsin  Experiment  Station,  has  also  arrived 
at  the  same  conclusion.  In  the  Breeder 's  Gazette,  of  June  13,  1888,  he 
says: 

"  Probably  very  few  stone  silos  will  be  built  in  the  future,  as  experi- 
ence shows  that  a  stone  wall  chills  the  ensilage  during  the  curing  process 
and,  if  it  does  not  seriously  injure  that  portion  next  to  it  to  a  thickness  of 
several  inches,  it  renders  it,  at  least,  less  palatable  than  ensilage  nearer 
the  middle  of  the  silo.  The  reason,  in  my  judgment,  that  the  silo  has  not 
won  more  friends  in  the  Eastern  States  is  owing  to  the  common  use  of 
stone  in  its  construction.  On  our  Experimental  farm  at  Madison  our  first 
silo,  built  in  1881,  was  of  stone,  and  our  conclusions  in  regard  to  ensilage 
were  made  up  from  results  obtained  from  this  silo;  had  we  put  up  a 
wooden  structure,  I  am  confident  our  results  would  have  been  worth 
vastly  more  to  our  people  than  they  have  been." 

FEEDING     ENSILAGE. 

Feeding  the  ensilage  was  begun  March  10,  1888,  by  mixing  it  with 
twice  its  bulk  of  dry  cut  corn-fodder,  not  corn-stover,  which  our  stock 
had  been  chiefly  fed  during  the  winter.  The  cattle  soon  learned  to  like 
the  ensilage,  and  after  the  first  week  it  was  fed  without  mixing  with  any 
other  substance  and  was  eaten  rather  better,  on  the  whole,  than  corn-fod- 
der had  been  previously. 

Daily  weights  of  ensilage  fed  to  the  stock  were  not  taken.  From 
what  weighing  was  done,  it  is  estimated  that  from  March  rjth  to  April 
3<Dth,  700  pounds  on  an  average  were  fed  daily.  During  this  time  the  fol- 
lowing cattle  were  given  ensilage: 

March  i7th  to  April  3<Dth  two  aged  and  five  yearling  bulls,  one  heifer 
and  one  dry  cow  were  fed  ensilage,  hay,  and  grain;  eight  milch  cows, 
ensilage,  straw,  and  grain;  ten  dry  cows  and  five  heifers,  ensilage  and  straw. 
-  March  i7th  to  April  i6th  three  steers  were  fed  ensilage  and  corn. 

April  i3th  to  3oth  four  heifers  and  two  dry  cows  were  fed  ensilage 
and  hay. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  for  45  days  37  head  were,  on  an  average,  fed 
700  pounds,  about  19  pounds  each,  daily.  Of  these  15  had  ensilage  and 
straw  only;  8  had  ensilage  and  straw  with  grain,  usually  four  quarts  bran 
added  daily;  and  9  ensilage  hay  and  grain.  All  thrived  exceedingly  well, 
considering  amount  of  food  eaten. 


1888.] 


ENSILAGE. 


EXPERIMENT    WITH    HEIFERS 


Library  df 


1  6th,  were  then  weighed 


Five  thoroughbred  Shorthorn  heifers,  wl 
upon  ensilage  and  straw  from  March  iyth  to 
and  for  two  weeks  were  fed  three  times  da 
quantity  given  them  was  weighed  at  each  feeding,  and  the  amount  not 
eaten  was  removed  and  weighed  before  they  were  next  fed.  Their  feed 
boxes  were  arranged  to  prevent  waste  as  far  as  practicable,  and  what  was 
thrown  out  was  collected  and  weighed.  Here  is  a  chance  for  error,  but 
the  error  is  a  slight  one.  The  heifers  were  bedded  with  straw,  care  being 
taken  to  keep  it  well  back  out  of  their  reach.  Nevertheless  a  very  small 
quantity  was  eaten,  but  not  enough  it  is  believed,  to  affect  materially  the 
result.  The  heifers  were  kept  in  a  comfortable  stable  and  were  turned 
into  a  yard  during  two  or  three  hours  daily  for  water  and  exercise.  Dur- 
ing the  two  weeks,  the  five  heifers  were  fed  3,331.5  pounds  of  ensilage,  of 
which  395  pounds  were  removed  from  time  to  time  because  it  was  not 
eaten;  or,  stated  otherwise,  they  were  each  given  daily  on  an  average, 
nearly  forty-eight  pounds  of  ensilage,  of  which  about  six  pounds,  one- 
eighth,  were  not  eaten. 

The  following  table  gives  date  of  birth,  weights,  and  gain  of  these 
animals  in  the  time  specified : 


n 

•3. 

•3, 

o 

pi 

H 

g 

^ 

5 

0 

O 

2", 

- 

a 

X 

O 

i> 

H 

NJ 

|> 

X 

13 

NAME. 

DATE    OK    BIRTH. 

^ 

t 

pa 

- 

"0 

"0 

r 

g 

ON 

50 

M 

^ 

1 

I^J 

P 

Os 

Kj 

K 

OJ 

ps 

O 

p 

r 

(jrace  7th  
Queen  Mary  I4th  

May  26,  1886  
June  28,  1886  

855 

8ic 

950 
860 

95 

910 

55 

^O 

Duchess  of  York  2ist  

July  1  6,  1886.. 

880 

7C 

rr2 

Duchess  of  York  2Oth  
Bloom  anthe  4th 

June  29,  1886  
May  13,  1886 

925 

995 

70 

970 

45 

9  5 

Average  gain  

71 

It  will  be  remembered  that  these  heifers  had  been  fed  for  a  month 
before  this  experiment,  on  a  moderate  allowance  of  ensilage,  about 
twenty  pounds  daily,  and  all  the  oat  straw,  of  a  good  quality,  they  would 
eat.  Obviously,  then,  at  the  end  of  the  experiment,  during  which  they 
had  been  fed  ensilage  alone,  their  stomach  contents  were  unlike  what 
they  were  at  the  beginning  of  the  experiment.  At  the  end  of  the  fourteen 
days  the  heifers  were  weighed  under  the  same  conditions  as  at  the 
beginning  of  the  experiment  (after  morning  feed  and  before  watering),  and 
were  found  to  have  made  an  average  gain  in  weight  of  seventy-one 
pounds.  They  were  allowed  to  go  without  their  noon  feed,  and  were 


20  BULLETIN    NO.   2.  \_Altgltst, 

given  on  the  following  evening. and  morning  a  moderate  allowance  of 
ensilage  and  what  hay  they  would  eat,  and  were  then  weighed  again. 
This  time  the  average  weight  was  twenty-two  pounds  less  than  the  pre- 
vious day,  or  the  average  weight  was  forty-nine  pounds  more  May  ist 
than  April  i6th.  It  is  a  comparatively  easy  matter  to  determine  the  gain 
in  weight  of  an  animal  during  a  given  time.  It  is  quite  another  matter  to 
determine  how  much  an  animal  has  gained  in  flesh  and  fat.  Undoubt- 
edly the  gain  shown  at  the  second  weighing  comes  nearer  the  actual  gain 
orf  carcass.  There  is,  doubtless,  a  grain  of  reason  in  the  English  farmer's 
objection  to  the  use  of  scales  and  his  insistance  on  judging  from  appear- 
ance. Improvement  in  general  condition  and  appearance,  as  well  as  gain 
in  weight,  should  be  considered.  Judged  in  this  way  the  result  was  also 
very  favorable  to  the  ensilage.  The  improvement  in  the  general  condition 
of  the  animals  was  very  decided. 

The  patent  facts  of  this  experiment  are  that  the  heifers,  after  hav- 
ing been  fed  on  a  moderate  allowance  of  corn  ensilage  and  all  the  oat 
straw  they  would  eat  for  about  four  weeks,  when  given  a  daily  allowance 
of  forty-eight  pounds  of  corn  ensilage,  consumed  about  seven-eighths  of  it 
only,  continued  to  thrive  exceedingly  well,  and  during  the  two  weeks 
made  a  very  satisfactory  gain. 

COMPARATIVE   CHEMICAL   COMPOSITION    OF    ENSILAGE    AND    CORN-FODDER. 

An  analysis  of  the  ensilage,  together  with  analyses  of  corn-fodder, 
was  made  by  H.  S.  Grindley,  class  of  1888,  and  the  results  presented  in 
a  thesis  for  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  science  in  the  College  of  Agricul- 
ture, University  of  Illinois.  A  summary  of  these  results  is  here  pre- 
sented. 

Samples,  how  taken.  Upon  opening  the  silo  March  10,  1888,  a  sam- 
ple of  ensilage  several  feet  from  the  top  (No.  r,  in  the  table  below)  was 
taken  for  analysis.  A  sample  of  corn-fodder  (No.  2)  made  from  similar 
corn  in  the  same  field,  and  cut  at  the  same  date,  was  taken  November  yth, 
in  order  to  compare  its  chemical  constituents  with  those  of  ensilage.  A 
sample  of  corn-fodder  of  another  variety  of  corn  (No.  3),  which  was  cut 
about  a  month  later  and  remained  in  the  shock  for  five  months,  was  taken 
as  soon  as  it  came  from  the  field.  From  a  similar  sample  (No.  4)  the 
corn  was  removed  and  the  stover  taken  for  analysis.  Samples  were  taken 
by  running  a  bundle  through  a  feed  cutter  and  mixing  on  a  tight  floor. 

Method  of  analysis.  The  method  of  analysis  was  the  same  in  all 
cases.  The  several  samples  were  passed  through  a  drug  mill  and  then 
through  a  coffee  mill,  until  the  material  was  sufficiently  pulverized  for 
analysis.  SampJe  No.  2,  when  taken  from  the  mow  in  the  barn,  was  very 
dry,  and  it  was  also  pulverized  in  the  laboratory  before  the  amount  of  moist- 
ure was  determined.  In  the  other  cases  the  amount  of  moisture  was 
determined  before  they  were  pulverized,  by  taking  200  to  300  grams  of  the 
sample  and  drying  in  an  air  bath  at  105°  C.,  until  the  weight  remained 
constant. 


XSILAGE 


Library  of2 

:he  substance  at  a  low  red  heat, 


1 888.] 


The  ash  was  determined  by  cha 
exhausting  the  charred  mass  with  water 
adding  the  ash  to  the  residue  from  the  ev; 
obtained  above,  drying  the  whole  at  110° 

The  ether  extract  was  determined  by 
substance  and  exhausting  for  eight  hours  with  anhydrous 
tinuous  extracting  apparatus.    The  ether  extract  was  then  dried* 
in  a  current  of  carbonic  acid,  to  a  constant  weight.  ~r     j 

The  total  nitrogen  was  determined  by  the  Kjeldahl  method.  The/ 
albuminoid  nitrogen  was  determined  by  taking  one  gram  of  the  substance, 
adding  100  c.  c.  of  water  in  a  beaker,  heating  to  boiling  and  adding  a 
quantity  of  the  cupric  hydrate  mixture,  prepared  according  to  Stutzer's 
method,  containing  .8  gram  of  the  hydrate.  The  mixture  was  then  stirred 
thoroughly,  filtered  when  cold  and  washed  with  cold  water;  and,  without 
drying,  the  filter  and  its  contents  w^re  put  into  concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  for  determination  of  the  nitrogen  by  the  Kjeldahl  method. 

Crude  fiber  was  determined  by  the  Weende  method;  the  nitrogen 
— free  extract — by  difference. 

Chemical  composition.  The  following  table  gives  the  percentage  of 
nutrients  and  acids  contained  in  fresh  and  dry  substance  of  fodders 
analyzed: 


No.  i. 

No.  2. 

No.  3. 

No.  4. 

ENSILAGE. 

CORN-FODDER 

CORN  -FODDER 

CORN  -STOVER 

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Water  

64.42 

7.12 

24.85 

w.6s 

Albuminoids  

2.82 

7.0,1 

0.76 

10.  ?i 

6.8^5 

9  .00 

^  OI 

4  47 

Ether  extract  

1.58 

4-4S 

}•  i™ 
2.46 

2.6; 

i  65 

2.  2O 

l.iS 

1.62 

Nitrogen,  free  extract  

22.24 

«t  <*•:> 
62.1:2 

>Q-QI 

64.1:1 

47.81 

6^.62 

10.47 

45;  2S 

(  "rude  fiber  

7.18 

20.20 

1  6.^0 

17.  6$ 

14.^0 

IO.  I  "» 

27.14 

40  60 

Ash  

1.74 

4.  QO 

4.74 

4.68 

4.48 

e  07 

1.74 

j.  oo 

Volatile  acids  

.061; 

.182 

Non-volatile  acids 

.07* 

.098 

Total  nitrogen 

,6oi 

I  .()() 

1  838 

1.98 

I     ^2O 

I  77 

coi; 

7C 

Albuminoid  nitroeen.  . 

1.268 

1.681 

1.  002 

I.d.54. 

.A82 

Se 

Samples  No.  i  and  No.  2  may  be  compared  to  determine  the  com- 
parative chemical  composition  of  ensilage  and  corn-fodder. 

The  analyses  show  a  decrease  in  the  total  nitrogen  of  .29  per  cent., 
or  a  loss  of  14.6  per  cent,  of  the  total  nitrogen  in  the  fodder.  There  was 
a  decrease  of  2.58  per  cent,  of  albuminods  in  the  total  solids,  equivalent 
to  a  loss  of  24.5  per  cent,  of  the  total  albuminods  put  in  the  silo.  It  will 
be  understood  that  the  albuminoids  are  indispensable  nutrients  of  any 
food  ration,  and  are  not  replaceable  by  any  other  class  of  nutrients.  The 


22  BULLETIN    NO.    2.  [August, 

loss  is  in  part  due  to  their  reduction  into  amids  and  other  degraded  nitrog- 
eneous  compounds.  Thus,  while  there  was  only  .3  per  cent,  of  non- 
albuminoid  nitrogen  in  the  corn-fodder,  there  was  .4  per  cent,  in  the 
ensilage.  Of  the  total  nitrogen  in  the  corn-fodder,  only  15.15  per  cent, 
was  in  the  form  of  non-albuminoid  nitrogen,  while  in  the  ensilage  there 
was  25.44  per  cent.  These  degraded  forms  are  supposed  to  have  about 
the  same  feeding  value  as  the  soluble  carbohydrates. 

The  percentage  of  soluble  carbohydrates  (nitrogen,  free  extract)  in 
the  ensilage  is  less  than  in  the  corn-fodder  by  2.01  per  cent.,  while  the 
crude  fiber  is  greater  by  2.25  per  cent. 

The  ether  extract,  which  contains  oil  and  other  extractive  matter,  is 
1.7  per  cent,  greater  in  the  ensilage  than  in  the  corn  fodder;  or,  in  other 
words,  the  ensilage  contains  1.6  times  as  much  as  the  corn-fodder.  This  is  in 
part  due  to  the  conversion  of  sugar  (glucose)  into  organic  acids  which  are 
soluble  in  ether,  while  the  sugar  fronf  which  they  were  formed  is  insoluble. 

The  ensilage  contains  a  slightly  higher  percentage  of  ash.  This  is 
to  be  expected  where  there  is  no  drainage,  for  the  fermentation  decreases 
the  organic  matter. 

The  fresh  ensilage  contains  .1  per  cent,  of  organic  acids.  Of  this 
.065  was  volatile,  and  .035  non-volatile.  The  former  is  considered  acetic 
and  the  latter  lactic  acid. 

BIOLOGY    OF    ENSILAGE. 

A  good  deal  has  been  published  from  time  to  time  by  various  persons 
on  the  chemistry  of  ensilage;  very  little  on  its  biology.  Dr.  Manly  Miles 
has,  however,  called  attention  to  this  subject  in  an  interesting  discussion 
in  the  First  Annual  Report  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station,  pages  33  to  39.  Not  much  more  can  be  done  here  than  to 
suggest  the  possibilities  in  this  direction.  By  the  help  and  guidance  of 
Prof.  T.  J.  Burrill,  of  this  University,  the  writer  was  enabled  to  make  a 
few  observations  of  the  organisms  contained  in  ensilage. 

March  13,  1888,  bits  of  ensilage  were  placed  in  sterilized  bottles  with 
the  usual  precautions  incident  to  bacteriological  investigation.  At  3:30 
p.  m.  a  small  piece  of  ensilage  was  put  into  a  test  tube  containing  a  strong 
sterilized  solution  of  commercial  glucose.  March  24th,  10  a.  m.,  a  pro- 
fuse growth  of  organisms  was  apparent.  The  fluid  emitted  a  strong  odor 
characteristic  of  ensilage. 

Slides  were  mounted  and  found  to  contain  two  bacterium  forms,  and 
possibly  a  third,  closely  resembling,  if  not  identical  with,  Bacterium  aceti 
and  Bacterium  lactis.  The  greater  portion  of  the  growth,  however,  was  a 
Saccharomyces,  probably  S.  Pastorianus,  which  is  thus  described  by 
Prof.  Burrill: 

"Cells  various,  from  long  cylindrical  to  roundish  oval,  more  of  the 
latter.  The  long  ones  are  about  2.5  to  3  mikros,  10-100,000  to  12-100, 
ooo  in.  wide,  and  some  of  the  joints  reach  25.  mikros  1-1,000  in.  long. 
The  oval  cells  average  about  4  by  6  mikros,  but  vary  from  4  to  8  mikros 


.]  ENSILAGE.  23 

in  length  and  2  to  6  mikros  in  width.     The  long  ones  often  have  3  to  5 
joints;  the  ovals,  mostly  single;  sometimes  in  two.     All  often  budding. " 

Another  sterilized  solution  of  commercial  glucose  was  inoculated 
with  a  few  drops  from  the  above  test  tube.  This  again  developed  Bac- 
terium and  Saccharomyces,  although  somewhat  less  vigorously  than 
before.  Another  test  tube  containing  glucose  solution  which  had  not 
been  inoculated  failed  to  develop  any  organism. 

March  24th  some  ensilage  was  again  taken  from  the  silo  and  placed 
in  a  sterilized  test  tubes  plugged  with  cotton  with  the  usual  precautions. 
March  27th  there  had  developed  two  or  three  round  white  masses  on  a 
piece  of  the  ensilage.  A  portion  of  one  of  these  masses  was  examined 
and  found  to  consist  of  a  Saccharomyces  swarming  with  bacteria,  appar- 
ently identical  with  those  developed  in  the  glucose  solutions.  Cell  cultures 
were  made  in  a  drop  of  glucose  solution.  A  growth  of  yeast  cells  was 
obtained.  In  this  case  some  of  the  long  jointed,  mycelium-like  cells  were 
observed.  This  would  indicate  that  there  is  a  tendency  to  assume  this 
form  in  the  presence  of  free  oxygen. 

From  these  observations  it  seems  probable  that  these  are  the  organ- 
isms which  produce  the  fermentation  in  the  ensilage,  and  that  the  two  very 
distinct  forms  play  an  important  part  in  the  production  of  ensilage.  The 
Saccharomyces,  or  yeast,  in  the  absence  of  air  (free  oxygen)  in  the  silo, 
abstracts  oxygen  from  the  glucose  of  the  corn,  from  which  alone,  it  is 
claimed,  yeast  can  obtain  intermolecular  oxygen.  This  is  fermentation.  By 
the  abstraction  of  oxygen  from  glucose  it  becomes  alcohol.  If  the  fermen- 
tation stopped  here,  the  ensilage  would  be  sweet;  but  at  this  point  the 
bacteria  take  up  the  unfinished  work  and  change  by  degrees  the  alcohol 
into  acetic,  lactic,  and  possibly  other  organic  acids.  It  is  in  this  acid, 
or  sour,  state  that  we  almost  universally  find  ensilage.  At  the  same  time 
these  organisms  require  nitrogen  for  their  development  and  in  their 
growth;  consequently  they  decompose  nitrogeneous  compounds  and  thus 
decrease  the  percentage  of  albuminoid  nitrogen,  as  shown  by  chemical 
analysis.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose,  either  from  the  known  func- 
tions of  these  organisms  or  from  chemical  analysis,  that  indigestible 
material  is  made  digestible  by  their  action. 

SUMMARY. 

The  conclusions  and  results  of  these  experiments  may  be  summarized 
as  follows: 

1.  The  yield  was  not  more  than  seven  tons  per  acre  of  green  corn,  or 
two  and  one-sixth  tons  of  corn-fodder. 

2.  It  required  seven  men  and  three  teams  three  days  to  fill  the  silo 
with  twenty-seven  tons  of  green  corn. 

3.  Difficulty  was  found  in  obtaining  evenness  of  distribution  in  the 
silo  and,  consequently,  evenness  of  settling. 

4.  Twenty-one  pounds  of  green  corn  occupied  a  cubic  foot  when  put 
into  the  silo  and  shrunk  one-fourth  in  volume,  weighted  with  fifty  pounds 
to  the  square  foot 


24  BULLETIN    NO.    2,    ENSILAGE. 

5.  Size  of  silo  desired  may  be  approximated  by  allowing  two  cubic 
feet  a  day  for  each  animal. 

6.  With  a  silo  of  stone,  brick,  and  cement  the  ensilage  rotted  at  the 
sides  and  top  to  the  extent  of  one-third  the  entire  amount. 

7.  There  is  evidence  for  believing  that  this  loss  could  be  consider- 
ably obviated  by  building  the  silo  of  wood. 

8.  Thirty-seven  head  of  cattle,  fed  forty-five  days  on  a  moderate 
allowance  of  corn  ensilage  with  other  food,  ate  the  ensilage  somewhat 
better  than  corn-fodder  and  thrived  very  satisfactorily. 

9.  Five  yearling  Shorthorn  heifers,  averaging  895  pounds  each,  were 
given  daily  forty-eight  pounds  of  corn  ensilage  each,  ate  about  seven- 
eighths  of  it,  and  during  fifteen  days  made  an  average  gain  of  forty-nine 
pounds  each.     [See  page  19.] 

10.  Analyses  of  corn  ensilage  and   corn-fodder  made  from  similar 
corn  show' a  loss  in  the  ensilage  of  total  nitrogen,  albuminoid  nitrogen, 
and  soluble  carbohydrates  and  an  increased  per  cent,  of  non-albuminoid 
nitrogen,  ether  extract,  crude  fiber  and  ash. 

11.  The  fresh  ensilage  contained  .1  per  cent,  of  organic  acids,  .065 
volatile,  and  .035  non-volatile. 

12.  Ensilage   was   found   to  contain    yeast    and    bacteria    ferments. 
Neither  from  a  chemical  nor  from  a  biological  stand-point  is  there  reason 
for  believing  that  the  ensilage  is  made  more  digestible  by  their  action. 

SELIM  H.  PEABODY, 

President  of  Board  of  Direction. 

The  bulletins  of  the  Station  will  be  sent  free  of  all  charges  "to  per- 
sons engaged  in  farming  who  may  request  that  they  be  sent." 

All  communications  should  be  addressed  to  the  AGRICULTURAL  EX- 
PERIMENT STATION,  CHAMPAIGN,  ILL. 


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